THE VVITCH : Tuesday 29th March 2016

THE VVITCH - is the Directorial debut from Robert Eggers and is Written by him too, and with the  critical acclaim since its world premier at Sundance in January 2015, and its Special Presentation screening at TIFF in September last year, I was keen to give this film a go, so saw it two weeks or so after its Australian release earlier this week. This film went out in cinema release in the US in February this year and has so far made US$29M off its meagre US$1M or so budget. Hailed as 'A New England Folktale' on the title screen, Eggers was determined to craft a personal film based on his childhood fascination with witches. Based in New England, Eggers was also determined to film in rural New England but for a variety of reasons couldn't find a suitable forest edge location, so ended up well & truly off the map in Kiosk, Ontario, which certainly sets the mood, the tone and the sense of foreboding this film presents.

Set in 1630 New England, this is the story of a relocated family from northern England who as the film opens are in the process of being banished from a Puritan Christian community plantation where they reside with their four children from young twins to early teenage years, because husband and father William (Ralph Ineson) has shown once too often 'prideful conceit'. The family is exiled and so ride off into the sunset on their horse drawn carriage carrying all their worldly belongings and family with them in search of a new place to establish a home. They find that ideal place where there is clearing beside a brook to provide running water and on the edge of a forest. They give thanks to God for bringing them to this place.

After several months the homestead is established, corn is growing in the field and mother Katherine (Kate Dickie) has given birth to the fifth child - a young boy, Samuel. One day when Katherine is attending to household chores, she asks young teenage daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) to look after the young baby. Thomasin does so willingly and ventures to the forest edge to play with Samuel and keep him amused. In so doing, the baby vanishes. Taken by a witch and carted off into the depths of the forest - never to be seen again.

Katherine is distraught by this news and spends several days crying, restless and mourning sorrowfully whilst praying to God. William and son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw) venture into the forest in search of food when their crop of corn starts to fail, and with winter drawing in, a stockpile of provisions is increasingly becoming a necessity. On the farm the young twins Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson), play with one of the family goats, Black Phillip, whom they later claim speaks to them.

The next day Caleb awakes early to go into the forest on the family horse to check on the animal traps set the previous day. Thomasin interrupts him and insists that she be allowed to go with him, and so they venture off with the family dog, Fowler, in tow. Along the way, they are distracted by a hare that Caleb and William had seen the previous day, and with Caleb giving chase and leaving Thomasin alone, the horse bolts knocking her to the ground. She regains consciousness later as night draws in. She hears distant voices and is reunited with her father, but there is no sign of Caleb who has ventured off and stumbles across a woodland house, from which emerges a beautiful big busted woman who embraces the young lad with a passionate kiss to the lips, only to reveal a withered gnarly aged witches hand holding him tightly.

With the baby now missing for a week or so, Caleb now mysteriously vanished, the twins claiming that Black Phillip talks to them, the family dog also not returned, and a failing crop, Katherine in her anxiety begins to talk of witchcraft and how God is punishing them for their sins. William meanwhile seeks the mercy of God, asking for his forgiveness and seems to be blaming everyone else but himself for the predicament the family now finds itself in. He seems to take some comfort in chopping wood to build a Winter stockpile during which he can gather his thoughts, repent of his sins, and talk to God.

Later that night Thomasin offers to tend to the goats before turning in, and while outside in the moonlight hears a noise that distracts her - it is Caleb, miraculously returned, but stark naked, bloodied, dazed and in a stupor. He is brought inside and rests, tended to by his mother, but not able to speak. As the remaining family gather around, the twins reveal that they believe their sister Thomasin to be a witch, Thomasin counter claims that it is the twins who are in fact witches because Black Phillip talks to them, and with it Caleb awakens - his body writhing and contorting as if possessed, and indeed it is! He dies soon afterwards but not before praising the Lord and bestowing his body unto Him, and with it the twins also go into a writhing attack, followed by a catatonic state immediately afterwards. Katherine is thrown into a further frenzy claiming witchcraft, and ungodly forces working against them all. William confronts his daughter demanding her to recite prayers and welcome God back into her life. He boards her up in a stable with the two young twins who have since come around and Black Phillip so that they can be rid of any demons and come to their senses overnight through prayer, forgiveness and divine intervention.

Overnight Katherine hallucinates that Caleb and Samuel have returned, and while William sleeps events take a turn in the stable. He wakens early the next morning and in venturing outside is greeted by a destroyed stable, the twins gone, the goats butchered and Thomasin lying nearby with bloodstained hands. For how this plays out you'll just have to watch the movie!

In this film which garnered Director Robert Eggers a Best Director Prize at 2015's Sundance Film Festival, he has weaved an original story recreating a God-fearing 1630's New England where black magic, demonic possession, and witchcraft were very real predating the Salem Witch Trials of the late 17th Century. He has meticulously researched his story to ensure its authenticity right down to the language used of that era, and his production team have faithfully bought his vision to the big screen in every detail. His chosen cast of two lead Actors in Ineson and Dickie is first rate and keep an eye out for emerging talent in Taylor-Joy and Scrimshaw who equally carry this film every step of the way with their adult counterparts. This film is not big on scares, but it re-establishes the genre with a truly original piece that is a slow intense burn, with a solidly crafted, well told and well acted story that will have you gripped from the opening scene right through to the revealing and shocking end. A Director to watch and a film to see - with some truly disturbing scenes that are not there just for effect but add to the context of the film and what the family is experiencing. It will hold your attention throughout, and keep you thinking for a long time afterwards.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-